NOT ONLY PLECTRUMS

I've used the corners of credit cards , cut detergent bottles, pennies. Never cared for the sound a coin gives, and the credit cards are a bit stiff. Somebody told me you could use a toothpick but I've never tried it, just din't sound like a good idea to me.
I'm straight dunlops now, usually a .50 or .63

All You Need is Love

Hi doc!
I have noticed another thing about picks. Seems like different guitars demands different picks (at least when I'm playing). I own 3 guitars now and have moved from a noname cheap guitar via a 200 euro Tanglewood and now playing a 500 euro Takamine. In my case I have used lighter and lighter picks. First I thought that it was my progress that made this difference, but when I tuned up my noname the other night I played it a bit and imedeately felt I had to change to a harder pick to get the right feel. Anyone else felt this?

You are all right about those damn fingerpickers. They rule... I've tried and tried but I can't nail it. Seems my biggest problem is to get my brain to nail the pick pattern (meltdown even on easy left hand patterns) and then there is the problem to get a nice tone when you've eaten all your nails down...

/Missen

Thanks a lot. I try more and more to "something similar to finger picking", in combination with strumming.
I, so people tell me, play guitar pretty well. This might be true but I am not satisfied.
I regret now the fact that I never took guitar class, and even worse, that I left music school, just because I don't like theory, hating all theories.
Rebel, I did the same thing, cut 2-3 plectrums from a creditcard.
Slowly I start to learn more and more finger picking.

When I first started picking I held the pick way too tightly trying not to drop it, but when I loosened up and relaxed it got alot easier. Balance it firmly but gently, and just relax and go with it, the rythym is a little different but you'll catch on to that pretty easily. I play using a pick AND picking with my fingers by balncing the pick between my thumb and index finger, and picking notes with my middle, ring, and pinky fingers. This allows you to do a combination of strumming and fingerpicking, and to switch between the two,

All You Need is Love

I also fingerpick,sometimes with a thumbpick and sometimes I go all flesh which I like alot although sometimes you need more volume, I also use a pick and my 3rd and 4th finger to pick with.  When I started I used a simple thumb 2,3,4 pattern and just stayed on a D chord until i didnt have to think about the pattern.Finger picking is not that hard but like all guitar stuff takes some persistance. Repetitive patterns arent all bad,the more you play you will find yourself picking strumming and your ear will become better to embellish chords and sound great.Thanks Wayne

i can not get used to useing a plectrum at all,i strum useing the nail on my index finger i manage well enough and try to avoid any music that requires a capo from the third fret downover,as this makes the strings so taught it causes my finger to split.i am now learning to use my other fingers to strum so if i do damage my index finger i can carry on playing till it repaires its self.

I can play with my fingers = a little "fingerpicking" I also try play this style, but for a short while.
About plectrums, for me the best picks are Dunlops. I always use a .73. It fits me well. You  can play, strum and create a lot of noise on an acoustic. In fact I think it's all about the sound. The thicker they are, the louder the sound and if you use light-medium strings a lot of strings will die in the fight with your hand + pick.
They have really thin picks like a white .38. I've got one, but another brand, and no nylon. Using this = very soft and almost a "silent-like" sound. If not nylon it breaks real fast.

I do a little of both. When I finger, I like to use a thumb pick to really thump it. A friend of mine (who has since moved back to Germany) had a thumb pick with which he could strum. It had a very narrow pick area, and was separated (split-like) where it joined the thumb so that it didn't fly off of his thumb on the upstroke.

Pretty cool pick, I need to find one...

I'm with guitaardocphil...I use dunlops 0.78 when I use a pick. BUT GUESS WHAT! I went to a nail salon a few weeks ago and had extensions added to my thunb, 1st and 2nd nail. Clumsy at first, but now I am totally playing and strumming  with these three fingers. Mostly strumming with the index finger and finding the bass notes with my thumb.  I'm doing some fingerpicking rolls that sound nice too. 

..see the August 2006 edition of Acoustic Guiter if you have any questions www.acousticguitar.com

I'm ready to throw the picks away! Oh, wait! I may need to keep them around for when I play my electric. I've not had that much sucess there. It sounds really "plunky" there. And, oh geez when I play my bass, I get really bad "double picks." I really gotta work on that. Eh, we'll see.

peace,
dw

I use a Dunlop 73 Tortex - the yellows - the beauty about these is that they are not too thick, but are very rigid, returning to their original shape quicker than other picks.

I just love flat picking guitar, particularly cross picking. Fingerpicking just seems too flat a sound. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but bluegrass pickers seem to do it all. If you haven't already checked them out, look at

Tony Rice http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JFgC3Ub … re=related

Chris Eldridge ( and a couple of others ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s8Mmc69CP8

Finally for the best in flatpicking check out the Mandolin players.

Here's Chris Thile with Brian Sutton on Guitar - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URQ9zDi2uEs

Or just search youtube for Bluegrass Guitar.